Improvement in sleighs



'S.S.SPBAR Slmgh.

No'. 109,682. Patented Nov. 29, 1870.

eta saw Letters Patent No. 109,682, dated November 29, 1870. I

IMPROVEMENT IN SLEIGHS.

-'J,'he Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMU L-S. Srnsn, of South lVeymouth, in'the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, ha'veinvcnted certain Improvements in Sleighs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which/ I Figur'el is a perspective view of a platform of a sleigh with its runners secured thereto according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the center of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on theline a: of fig. 2. I

My present invention relates to that class of sleighs having two pairs of runners: v

The runners of such slcighs have heretofore been connected with the body by pivoting the upper rails thereto, the point of connection beingabout threefift-hs of the length of the runner back of its forward end, to'avoid the tendency of the point of the run ner to pitch down into the snow.

\Vhen, however, the surface of the road is uneven, or an obstruction is encountered, this arrangemcutis not suiiicient to enable the runners to easily pass thereovcr; furthermore, when the sleigh is backed,

the heel of the runner will pitch down and enter the.

snow'.

The first part of my invention has for its object to overcome these difiicult-ies, and consists in connecting the runners with the body or its independent frame by means of pivots at or near the lower rails of the runners, whereby the draft is applied close to the point of resistance, and the runners are caused to slide easily over the surface without pitching forward or back. and entering the snow.

Again, in this-class of sleighs, the draft-pole or shafts have heretofore been attached directly to the forward pair of runners, which was objectionable, for the reason that the'pitching motion of the runners would be imparted to the pole or shafts, and consequently the neck of the horse be subjected .to irregu lar strain; and, furthermore, the cross-bar would frequently be brought so low as to be struck by the horses heels 'lo overcomethese objections is the purpose of the second portion of my invention, which consists in attaching the pole or shafts to an independent frame, to which the forward runnersare pivoted, in order to prevent the motion of the latter being communicated to the pole or shafts, and consequently ad- 'inits of hitching the horse nearer the load than heretoforc. i

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use m invention, Iwill proceed to lescribe the manner in which I' have carried it out.

In the said draw'ing-- A represents the body or platform of asleigh, to

the underside of which, and to cross-pieces B B are secured the upper ends of tripedal braces O, to the lower ends of which are pivoted plates at a, secured to the lower rails 71 b of the rear pair of runners D,

by which construction the draft is applied close to the point of resistance, instead of at a point considerably above it, as heretofore, and the tendency of therunners to pitch down and enter the snow is avoided,'"and the load can he more easily drawn than heretofore.

This construction also admits of the use of high and short runners, which are preferable where the snow'is deep, audin turning' the sleigh around, as were the draft applied to the top of a pair of runners of considerable height in proportion to their length, they would rock or tip to 'snchau extent as to render it difficult to draw the load.

c c are braces extending from the upper rails d d to the lower rails l) b, the lower ends of these braces being turned up so as to pass under-and up through the plates (0 a, where they are secured by screw-nuts,

the object of these braces being to prevent the lower.

rails b I) from bending when their forward or rear ends are raised, so as to leave their centers unsupported by thesnow.

The forward pair of runners E is of similar construction to those D, and is pivoted to triped'al braces G, (similar to those, 0,) which, instead of being secured directly to the under side of the body or platform andv its cross-pieces, are secured to a frame, H, which swivels on a circular plate, I, secured to the under side of a cross-piece, K, upon which the forward end of the platform rests.

L is the draft-pole, which (or a pair of shafts) is secured to the frame H.

The object of this frame is to allow the front pair of runners E to rock without raising or lowering the pole or shafts, thus-relieving the neck of the horse, and preventing the liability of the cross-bar being brought so low as to be struck by the horses I heels.

Cldims. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. 1n the runners of a sleigh, pivoted to its body,

ititlti dftinz,

or to an independent frame connected therewith by as described, the braces c c, as and for the purpose means of tripeclal braces 0, substantially in the manset forth.

ner and for the purpose set forth. Witness my hand this 22d clay of October, 1870. 2. Theindependent franie H, to which the pole S. S. SPEAR.

or shafts are secured, in combination with a pair of runners pivoted to the frame '11, the whole arranged witnessesi and operating substantially as and for the purpose de- N. W. STEARNS, scribed; v W. J. CAMBRIDGE.

3. In combination with a pair of runners pivoted 

